So we should probably talk about the fact that anything with a <div> in it is automatically on my shitlist.

I’m not entirely sure why everything online still requires you to have a PhD in HTML, CSS and every other special acronym you want to add, but you should know that the other day I blew on an old, decrepit dandelion and wished somebody would come along and make the entire internet USER FRIENDLY.

Alas, wishes don’t actually come true when you blow on decaying plant matter.

So I’ll put on my patience panties, but in the meantime I still need to use the internet. And do stuff with it. Like write things. And promote our company. And invoice people. And have all the bells and whistles actually ring and, err, whistle. And not be amateur hour because I went to school for PR & Linguistics instead of computer programming and all I know is that computers are one big orgy full of 1’s and 0’s and I DON’T EVEN KNOW IF THAT’S STILL A THING.

Enter: My friend Zapier.

It’s such a handy little tool that’s been saving my sanity and making me feel undeservedly smug by automating certain triggers & linking together different apps to streamline processes & make your life easier. Which doesn’t sound exciting at all, but it is when I tell you it can help you do things like:

»Use a gorgeous, user friendly Gravity form for your email sign ups (instead of having to embed & style clunky code) and then automatically pass the information into your AWeber, Infusionsoft or other email marketing software.

»Or have any new client inquiries automatically create a profile with their basic information in your invoicing software such as Freshbooks, so when you guys do work together? You don’t need to fill out all of that information twice.

»Have any clever emails you like sent straight to Evernote, or a Google Docs folder, so you can easily keep your own email marketing swipe file.

»Link up your client feedback form to WordPress so it automatically creates a new testimonial.

»Get really fun & ask for suggestions from your community, and have them automatically funneled into Trello. Every suggestion you want to implement, you move into your to-do list. 🙂

See what I mean? It’s sort of like having a really smart assistant who’s always one step ahead of you, except not as hot as Joan on Mad Men. Which is okay, really, because nobody’s as hot as Joan on Mad Men. But if you are, you should probably post your photo on our Facebook wall and then go eat a few tubs of french fries so we don’t feel so bad.

It’s bad enough with all the <divs>.